Monday, June 2, 2014

Seasoned Dandelion Leaves/凉拌蒲公英叶/민들레무침

Dear friends, have you ever tasted the seasoned dandelion leaves ? In Korean, we call it " Min-de-rae", is available in Spring....
亲爱的朋友们，您可曾嚐过凉拌蒲公英叶 ？ 在韩文，我们称它为“Min-de-rae”，在春天长得茂盛。。。
The English name, Dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion meaning " lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. The plant is also known as blowball,cankerwort, doon-head-clock,withch;s gowan,milk witch, lion's tooth, yellow-gowan, Irish daisy,monks-head, priest'scrown and puff-ball, other common names include faceclock,pee-a-bed,wet-a-bed,swine's snout, white endive and wild endive.
Dandelion leaves contain abundant vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C and K, and are good sources of calcium, potassium, iron and manganese.
The flower petals, along with other ingredients, usually including citrus, are used to make dandelion wine. The ground, roasted roots can be used as a caffeine-free dandelion coffee. Dandelion was also traditionally used to make the traditional British soft drink dandelion and burdock, and is one of the ingredients of root beer. Also, dandelions were once delicacies eaten by the Victorian gentry, mostly in salads and sandwiches.

Medicinal uses

Historically, dandelion was prized for a variety of medicinal properties, and it contains a wide number of pharmacologically active compounds. Dandelion is used as a herbal remedy in Europe, North America and China. It has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections, bile and liver problems,and as a diuretic.

Dangers

Dandelion pollen may cause allergic reactions when eaten, or adverse skin reactions in sensitive individuals. Contact dermatitis after handling has also been reported, probably from the latex in the stems and leaves. Due to its high potassium level, dandelion can also increase the risk of hyperkalemia when taken with potassium-sparing diuretics. The consumption of dandelion leaves has also been implicated in occurrences of fasciolosis.